Dispensers for granulated materials



Sept. 13, 1955 R. BRUNSTING ET AL 2,717,723

DISPENSERS FOR GRANULATED MATERIALS Filed Dec. 26, v1951 IN V EN TOR5,

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ATTORIVEX United States Patent DISPENSERS FOR GRANULATED MATERIALS Ralph Brunsting and Clarence M. Casselman, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,424

6 Claims. (Cl. 222189) This invention relates to improvements in dispensers for granulated materials.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a dispenser for granulated materials having a tendency to form lumps, such as sugar, which provides a free flow and tends to break up the lumps as the dispenser is manipulated.

Second, to provide a dispenser of this character which may be incorporated in dispensers now extensively used without structural change therein.

Third, to provide a screen for dispensers for granular materials which is adapted to be added to existing forms of dispensing receptacles.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of the invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a dispenser embodying the invention, a portion of the receptacle being broken away to disclose the screen therein, the outline of the screen being further indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the screen of this invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view .showing details of structure of the screen.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents a receptacle which is desirably formed of glass as indicated in section in Fig. 3. The cover 2 is formed of sheet metal and has threads 3 therein coacting with the external threads 4 form d in the receptacle. The cover has a discharge opening 5 provided with a closure 6 having a retaining tongue 7 disposed through a slot 8 in the cover above the discharge opening so that the member 6 in effect forms a flap valve.

The screen 5? is formed of wire mesh and is in the shape of an inverted cone. The fiat annular rim 10 projects outwardly from the upper end of the screen and is disposed on the end edge 11 of the receptacle and clamped thereon by the inwardly facing shoulder 12 formed on the cover below the discharge opening 5. The upper ends 13 of the longitudinal wires of the woven wire mesh screen are fixedly secured as by welding to the inner edges of the rim 1% as is shown in Fig. 4. The rim 10 thus constitutes a reinforcing member for the wire mesh as well as a supporting means for the screen. The taper of the screen is such that an upwardly tapering annular space 14 is provided between the screen and the wall of the receptacle. This exposes the entire area of the screen to the material dispensed indicated at 15 providing for free flow and also presents a rough surface which acts to break up lumps and crust-like portions which may form on the material dispensed, and the screen prevents lumps or fragments from clogging the discharge opening. The screen may be applied to dispensers of types now in quite general use without change or modification in the structure thereof.

The upwardly tapered annular space surrounding the screen results in forcing the material dispensed through the mesh of the screen when the dispenser is inverted.

It is also eifective in bringing lumps into engagement with the rough surface of the screen.

We have illustrated one embodiment of our invention which we consider highly practical and as adapted to one form of dispenser. It is believed that this disclosure will enable such modifications in structure as may be desirable for adaptation to dispensers having different forms of covers and discharge openings.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a dispenser for granular materials the combination of a receptacle, a cover detachably secured to said receptacle and having a discharge opening and an annular inwardly facing shoulder disposed below the opening and opposed to the end edge of the receptacle, and an inverted conical woven wire mesh screen having an outwardly projecting fiat annular rim at its upper edge disposed and clamped between the end edge of the receptacle and the shoulder of said cover, the wire screen including wire members extending longitudinally of the cone and including other wire members interwoven with the longitudinal wire members and extending around the cone transversely thereof and approximately parallel to said rim, said screen constituting means for breaking lumps of granular material as the dispenser is manipulated, said screen providing a roughened surface to facilitate breaking said lumps, the ends of the longitudinally extending wire members of the screen being fixedly secured to the inner edge of the rim at a substantial distance inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of said rim, said shoulder of the cover and said end edge of the receptacle clampingly engaging the top and bottom surfaces of the rim outwardly beyond said ends of the longitudinal wire members, the diameter of the screen at the top edge thereof being approximately the internal diameter of the receptacle, the taper of the screen being such that there is an annular space of upwardly tapering section between the screen and the wall of the receptacle.

2. In a dispenser for granular materials the combination of a receptacle, a cover detachably secured to said receptacle and having a discharge opening and an annular inwardly facing shoulder disposed below the opening and opposed to the end edge of the receptacle, and an inverted conical woven wire mesh screen having an annular rim at its upper edge disposed and clamped between the end edge of the receptacle and the shoulder of said cover, the wire screen terminating a substantial distance inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of the rim, said shoulder of the cover and said end edge of the receptacle engaging the top and bottom surfaces of the rim outwardly of the wire screen, said screen constituting means for breaking lumps of granular material as the dispenser is manipulated, said screen providing a roughened surface to faciiitate breaking said lumps, the diameter of the screen at the top edge thereof being approximately the internal diameter of the receptacle, the taper of the screen being such that there is an annular space of upwardly tapering section between the screen and the wall of the receptacle.

3. In a dispenser for granular materials, the combination of a receptacle, a cover having a discharge opening and an annular inwardly facing shoulder at the inner side of the opening and opposed to the end edge of the receptacle, and an inverted conical screen of woven wire mesh having an outwardly projecting rim at its upper edge retainingly disposed between the end edge of the receptacle and the shoulder of said cover, said screen constituting means for breakinglumps of granular "material as the dispenser is manipulated, said screen providing a roughened surface to facilitate breaking said lumps, the ends of the longitudinally extending wire members of the wire mesh being fixedly secured to the rim, said screen providing an annular space of tapering section betweenthe wall of the receptacle and the roughenedsurface of the screen and providing-a'roughened surface inclined to the longitudinal direction of the receptacle.

4. In a dispenser for granular materials, the combination of a receptacle, -a cover having a discharge opening and an annular inwardly facing shoulder at the inner side of the opening and opposed to the end edge of the receptacle, and a screen of wire mesh having an outwardly projecting rim retainingly disposedbetween the end edge of the receptacle and the shoulder of said. cover, the wire screen terminating a substantial distance inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of the rim, said shoulder of the cover and said end edge of the receptacle engaging the top and bottom surfaces of the rim outwardly of the wire screen, said screen constituting means for breaking lumps of granular material as the dispenser is manipulated, said screen providing a roughenedsurface to facilitate breaking said lumps, the taper of the screen being such that there is an annular space of tapering section surrounding the screen.

5. In an article for dispensing granular materials, an inverted conical wire mesh screen having an outwardly projecting fiat annular rim at its upper edge adapted to be disposed upon the'upper edge of a dispensing receptacle and clamped thereon by the cover of the receptacle, the ends of certain wires of the screen being fixedly secured to the inner edge of the rim, said ends of said wires terminating in substantially spaced relation from the outer peripheral edge of the rim to permit the lower and upper surfaces-of the rim outwardly of said ends of the wires being clampingly engaged between the upper edge of a receptacle and a cover therefor, said .screen constituting means for breaking lumps of granular material as the dispensing receptacle is manipulated, said screen providing a roughened surface to facilitate breaking said lumps.

6. In an article for dispensing granular materials, an inverted conical woven wire-mesh screen having an outwardly projecting annular rim at its upper edge adapted to be disposed upon the upper edge of a dispensing receptacle and clamped thereon by the cover of the receptacle, the wire screen including wire members extending longitudinally of the cone and including other wire members interwoven with the longitudinal wire members and extending around the conetransversely thereof and approxirnately parallel to said rim, the ends of the longitudinally extending wire members of the screen being fixedly secured to the rim, said screen constituting means for breaking lumps of granular material as the dispensing receptacle is manipulated, said screen providing a roughened surface to facilitate breaking said lumps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 133,307 Dalzell Nov. 26, 1872 1,575,991 Heller Mar. 9, 1926 1,878,924 Will Sept. 20, 1932 1,893,139 Gessler Jan. 3, 1933 1,906,135 Cunningham Apr. 25, 1933 1,937,486 Demers Nov. 28, 1933 2,006,566 Zimmer July 2, 1935 2,070,998 Odom Feb. 16, 1937 2,149,227 'Olson et a1. Feb. 28, 1939 2,205,040 Kasin June 18, 1940 

